Cornell's Mathews Named to the Walter Payton Award Watch List

Portions courtesy of The Sports Network and Cornell Athletic
Communications

PHILADELPHIA -- Cornell junior quarterback
Jeff Mathews is one of the 20 initial nominees for
the 2012 Walter Payton Award, the NCAA Football Championship
Subdivision top individual honor, as announced by The Sports
Network.

Twelve of this year's 20 preseason Watch List nominees were
finalists for the award last year -- quarterbacks Casey
Brockman of Murray State, DeNarius McGhee
of Montana State and Brad Sorensen of Southern
Utah; running backs Shakir Bell of Indiana State,
Jordan Brown of Bryant, Jamaine
Cook of Youngstown State, Timothy
Flanders of Sam Houston State, Andrew
Pierce of Delaware and Terrance West of
Towson; fullback Eric Breitenstein of Wofford; and wide receivers
Aaron Mellette of Elon and Rodrick
Rumble of Idaho State.

Mathews emerged as one of the top FCS quarterbacks after a
breakout sophomore season that saw him be named the 2011 Asa S.
Bushnell Cup winner as the Ivy League Offensive Player of the Year
and earn first-team All-Ivy honors. He set Cornell and Ivy League
records for passing yardage in a game (548 yards at Penn) and
season (3,412 yards), while also setting Big Red records for
touchdown passes (25), total offense (3,274 yards), completion
percentage (.679) and passing efficiency (162.60). The first
sophomore captain in Cornell football history, he ranked third
nationally in passing yards per game and pass efficiency, fourth in
total offense and 10th in points responsible for.

A two-time Ivy League and national player of the week, Mathews
posted two of the top three passing games in conference history and
two of the top four passing totals in the FCS this season and ended
the year with three 400-yard games and two 500-yard passing games,
both Ivy records. Against the top three pass defenses in the Ivy
League (Dartmouth, Penn and Brown), Mathews completed 70 percent of
his passes and averaged 405.7 yards with eight touchdowns and four
interceptions. His 341.2 yards per game was more than 100 yards per
game higher than any other passer in the Ivy League.

The Payton Award Watch List can undergo revision during the 2012
season. Ballots will be sent to a panel of about 175 sports
information and media relations directors, broadcasters, writers
and other dignitaries following the regular season on Nov. 19. The
top three vote-getters will be invited to The Sports Network FCS
Awards Presentation.

The Sports Network also presents the Buck Buchanan, Jerry Rice and
Eddie Robinson awards. The Buchanan Award honors the FCS defensive
player of the year, the Rice Award goes to the FCS freshman of the
year and the Robinson Award honors the FCS coach of the year. Those
three winners will join the top three Payton finalists at the
national awards banquet.